


When routine bites hard, And ambitions are low, And resentment rides high

by Oscarjames



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- High School, Alternate Universe- Secondary School, Emotionally Constipated Arthur, Finishes in a cheeky Nando’s with the lads, Fluff, GCSEs, M/M, Merlin comforts Arthur, Scruffy Arthur, stressed Arthur, they’re sort of just friends I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:28:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oscarjames/pseuds/Oscarjames
Summary: Morning of a maths GCSE exam and Arthur is incredibly stressed, Merlin comforts him (after a bit of an argument but only a very short one)
Relationships: Although it’s all platonic really so I don’t exactly know, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 84
Collections: Scruffy Pendragon Fest





	When routine bites hard, And ambitions are low, And resentment rides high

Merlin’s whole life, Arthur had been tidy. Tidy room, tidy drawer in primary school and locker in secondary, tidy pencil case, tidy clothes, at home and uniform, tidy handwriting and, most of all, tidy hair. Every four weeks, he had a haircut scheduled, at the same place, with the same barber, at 16.00, every single time. Since he was four. As soon as puberty began for him, around year 9, he had shaved his facial hair every morning, Merlin, who had seen Arthur nearly every day, and had slept over at his house many a time, was yet to see even a hint of a shadow on his face. Arthur was tidy. And Merlin knew it was probably more his father’s expectations than his own choice, but, nevertheless, when their GCSEs began and Arthur’s hair, both facial and on his scalp, began to grow, unrestricted and scruffy, Merlin was worried.

“Mate, are you alright?” He sits next to him on the bench of the maths corridor. They have their paper 2 exam in three quarters of an hour.

“Yeah. Well, a bit stressed, but aren’t we all?” He glances up from the textbook he’s poring over. “What makes you say that? Because it definitely wasn’t an “are you alright?” greeting, it was a genuine question, you had your worried tone.”

“I don’t know, you just seem slightly... off right now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, your hair is _long_ , and you have little bits of stubble.” He pokes Arthur’s cheek playfully, “You’ve always had quite a... refined appearance and now you’re a little unkempt, I suppose.”

“Well, I’m _sorry_ that because I’m the middle of literally the most important period of my school life so far, I can’t keep up the sophisticated appearance you want me to, Merlin.” He pushes his book into his rucksack, quite vigorously, and storms off.

“No- Arthur, I didn’t mean it like _that_ , I— Arthur, Arthur, come back.” He swings his bag onto his back and runs after his friend.

Arthur keeps going, down the stairs, through the lobby, past reception, past the P.E. block and onto the Astro, Merlin’s voice follows him, desperately. Merlin jogs along, trying to reach Arthur, but he is nowhere near as fast as him, and, what makes it worse is that he bumps into Lancelot.

“Morning, mate”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, hi, I just need to find Arthur, sorry, got to dash.”

Lancelot looks at him quizzically but doesn’t say anything out loud as he watches Merlin run down the walkway, turning his head wildly to try and spot Arthur. He sees him when he reaches the astro turf, kicking a slightly deflated football up against the fence over and over, quite forcefully. Typical football lad. Merlin can tell without being anywhere near that he is angry, the way that his foot comes into contact with ball is violent and definitely not precise. He walks slowly, not wanting to spook Arthur, very aware that he probably doesn’t particularly want to see him right now. Once he is a couple of metres away, Arthur notices, turning his head, but quickly going back to facing the fence and kicking. Merlin rests a hand upon his shoulder, Arthur brushes him off.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said like that, I just, I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Yeah, I know, and I’m not annoyed at you, not really.” He continues to bounce the ball off the fence, very clearly still annoyed. “I’m stressed and I took it out on you, which probably wasn’t very fair.” He puts his foot atop the ball, halting it, but remains looking at the ground. “But my dad has been going on about how I look a mess and stuff and obviously I can’t exactly confront him, so, when you said it too, and I know that you didn’t mean it in that way, but it felt like it, and I just... burst, I guess.” He looks at Merlin with red, slightly puffy eyes, then scrunches his mouth up to the side. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise, I should’ve thought before I spoke, they went on about that every week in primary school assemblies, I should have learnt it by now.”

Arthur chuckles, lifting a hand to push his hair out his eyes.“It’s all just so fucking much, you know? It’s been two weeks and we’re only halfway through, if that. I just haven’t had time to get my hair cut, I’ve been revising, or stressing about not revising, or, I just, it didn’t seem important to me. And I haven’t shaved because I’ve spent every second I can studying before I go to school, the only reason I’m not skipping doing my teeth is because I can’t not. And my dad isn’t helping at all, going on about how I should treat it like a battle and good grades are honour and all that. I just, I’m scared, Merlin, I’m fucking scared.” A tear rolls from his eye and Merlin feels himself hurt with Arthur’s pain.

He leans forward and wraps his arms around Arthur’s back, pressing a hand onto his head and pushing it into his own shoulder. Arthur melts into his embrace, his arms finding their way around Merlin’s waist.

“It will be okay.” Merlin whispers into Arthur’s ear. “It’s stressful and it’s scary, but you will be okay. I know you will. You’re smart up there, as much as I call you an idiot and a numpty and a-“

“Yeah, alright” Arthur sighs, slightly bemused.

“You _are_ smart, and, maybe you don’t do as well as you hope, but things will work out.”

“But, it _is_ possible that they won’t.” He pushes Merlin away slightly and looks into his eyes. “So much hinges on how well I do in one single hour and forty five minutes, it’s _possible_ that I make stupid mistakes that I don’t notice, or in the midst of things I forget how to complete the square or the cosine rule or I type the wrong number into my calculator or I factorise something incorrectly or-“

Merlin presses a finger to Arthur’s lips. “Yes, of _course_ , that _is_ possible, it’s possible for every single one of us, and that’s bloody frightening, and it also clearly shows why our current school system is inherently very flawed, but dwelling on the fact isn’t going to help you very much. All you can do is your best, and, yes, we have heard that so many fucking times and it’s infuriating, but it’s true, it is all we can do. I... can’t promise you that you’re going to do well, I have no idea what’s going to happen, for you or for me or, frankly, for anyone, but we have to do our best and just hope that it’s enough.” He offers Arthur a bittersweet smile and brushes the hair out of his friend’s eyes.

“Thank you, Merlin. You’re a good friend.”

“I’d bloody hope so, I have been for the past twelve years.”

Arthur laughs as he leans forward back into a hug with Merlin. When they separate a couple of minutes later, he has a whimsical look on his face. “You know... I might keep my hair long, I sort of like it, it’s softer, more comfortable, and as much as it may seem like it, I don’t particularly enjoy going to the barbers. But I am definitely shaving off this stubble, if it can even be called that, when I get home. It is so fucking itchy.”

Merlin smiles. “Have your hair however you want, and it does suit you, although knowing you, you’d probably suit anything, you would probably suit a Mohawk, I mean, you’d look like a twat, but you probably wouldn’t be ugly.”

“Oi.” He punches Merlin’s arm. “I could never look like a twat.”

“I’m sorry to say, my friend, but you already do.” He quickly runs off and glances behind him, seeing, exactly as he expected, Arthur chasing after him.

—

“Merlin! Merlin! Fucking look! Look!” Arthur holds out his paper in front of Merlin’s nose, shaking with excitement.

“If you hold it that close to my face I’m not going to be _able_ to read it, pillock.” He pushes it away slightly then gasps, excitedly. “You did it, mate! You fucking did it! You got a nine!”

“I got a fucking nine... in maths.”

“Mr Pendragon, I’m very impressed, but watch the language, please, you are currently in school.” Their maths teacher says from behind him.

“Yes, sorry, sir, thank you.”

“What is this about a nine I hear, Artie.” Elyan claps him on the back.

“A nine, princess, well that is very impressive, calls for Nando’s, methinks”

“Gwaine, we were going to Nando’s anyway, we’re hardly going to turn down discounted food, no matter how sad we are.” Leon interjects.

“Perhaps, but this, gentlemen, this is a celebration, not a consolation, Nando’s. Which I think is beautiful.” He wipes a fake tear from his cheek. “Onwards, for chicken awaits.”

“Piss off, Gwaine.” Percy elbows him in the ribs as they both start to walk

They are followed by most of the group, leaving just Merlin and Arthur hanging behind.

“Thank you, Merls, genuinely, I would have probably collapsed during that exam if it weren’t for you.”

“All in a day’s work, also you’ve thanked me for it at least fifty seven times in the last two months.” He smirks.

“Since when have you been at all modest?”

“I’ve _always_ been modest, you just don’t pay attention.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re mistaken, I pay far too much attention to you, Merlin.”

He wraps one arm around his friend, who ruffles his, now undoubtedly long, hair, and they laugh as they catch up with their friends.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn’t include much scruffy Arthur, sorry, but I really wanted to write something else for this. What did you think?


End file.
